Heel holding device for safety ski bindings

ABSTRACT

A heel-holding device for a binding comprises a pedal depressed by the heel of a ski boot and pivotally supported at one end thereof, the pedal having a shaft at an intermediate thereof, a retaining member rotatably supported and having an elongated slot perforated therein, the shaft being inserted in the slot so as to be guidedly movable therein, a heel clamp pivotally supported about the shaft and hung over the pedal, and a spring-biased locking member urging the clamp toward the heel and holding the retaining member not to be rotated. When the clamp is subjected to a force which acts to release the heel-holding power of the clamp and which exceeds the urging force of the locking member, the locking member is moved away against its biasing force, permitting the retaining member to be rotated, whereby the shaft is raised upward along the slot of the retaining member, simultaneously lifting the clamp, which enables a wider space to be formed between the clamp upwardly raised and the ski surface for easier disengagement of the boot from the binding.

[ July 17, 1973 1 1- HEEL-HOLDING DEVICE FOR SAFETY SKI BINDINGS [75] inventor: Yoichi Nagasaki, Hamamatsu-shi,

Japan [73] Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha, Shizuokaken, Japan [22] Filed: Dec. 28, 1971 I [21] Appl. No.: 213,002

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Primary Examiner-Benjamin Hersh Assistant ExnminerRobert R. Song Attorney-David H. Semmes [57] ABSTRACT A heel-holding device for a binding comprises a pedal depressed by the heel of a ski boot and pivotally supported at one end thereof, the pedal having a shaft at an intermediate thereof, a retaining member rotatably supported and having an elongated slot perforated therein, the shaft being inserted in the slot so as to be guidedly movable therein, a heel clamp pivotally supported about the shaft and hung over the pedal, and a spring-biased locking member urging the clamp toward the heel and holding the retaining member not to be rotated. When the clamp is subjected to a force which acts to release the heel-holding power of the clamp and which exceeds the urging force of the locking member, the locking member is moved away against its biasing force, permitting the retaining member to be rotated, whereby the shaft is raised upward along the slot of the retaining member, simultaneously lifting the clamp, which enables a wider space to be formed between the clamp upwardly raised and the ski surface for easier disengagement of the boot from the binding.

. 6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures- Pmmtn m' 3.746.354 v SHEET 1 0F 4 INVENTOR ATTORNEY HEEL-HOLDING DEVICE FOR SAFETY SKI BINDINGS The present invention relates to a heel-holding device for a safety ski binding of the type in which a bootengaging clamp can be easily locked only by a step-in motion of a skier.

Further, the invention relates to a heel-holding device for a safety ski binding having a simple and dependable construction combining a novel escapement mechanism, in which the boot of a skier can be released without fail in response to an abnormal stress in the vent of a fall of the skier.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a heel-holding device for a safety ski binding, in which in the usual disengagement of the ski boot after skiing, the ski boot can be easily disengaged without the stooping down of the skier.

In the conventional type ski binding, the boots are to be engaged with it by a lever operation which is somewhat troublesome for the skier. Therefore, in recent years, a ski binding of the type inwhich the boots of a skier can be engaged easily only by a step-in motion of the skier without the necessity of the lever operation. However, in such oridinary device, a long time and frequent uses with dependable safety performances and easy operation with regard to the safety mechanism thereof cannot be expected.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to propose a novel heel-holding device for a'safety ski binding in which the boot-clamping operation can be carried out easily only by a step-in motion of the skier.

Another object of the invention is to propose a heelholding device in which the construction thereof is simple and durable,.while the performance thereof is quick and dependable.

Further object of the invention is to propose a heelholding device in which the boot of a skier can be released without fail in response to an abnormal stress thereto in theevent of a fall of the skier.

Still other object of the invention is to propose a heelholding device in which in the usual disengagement of the ski boot after skiing, the ski boot can be disengaged easily by the tip of the ski stick without stooping down of the skier.

Pursuant to the above-mentioned objects of the present invention, the heel-holding device of the invention comprises: a pedal depressed by the heel of a ski boot and pivotally supported at one end thereof, the pedal being vertically movable and having a transversely extending shaft at an intermediate thereof; a retaining member vertically rotatably supported about an axis and having an elongated slot perforated therein, the shaft being inserted in the slot and guidedly movable therein; a heel clamp pivotally supported about the shaftand hung over the pedal; the rotation of the retaining member permitting the vertical movement of the pedal and the heel clamp; and a biases locking member urging the clamp toward the heel of the ski boot and holding the retaining member not to be rotated, the locking member being movable against the urging force thereof, the movement of the locking member against the urging force thereof permitting the rotation of the retaining member, whereby the heel clamp is vertically movable away from the heel of the ski boot.

These and other features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following de-- tailed description of the embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic partly sectional elevation of a heel-holding device according to the present invention;

FIGS. 2 to 4 are schematic partly sectional elevations of the device as shown in FIG. 1 in which the relations of the parts when an abnormal stress is imparted to the heel of the ski boot are shown;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are also schematic partly sectional elevations of the device as shown in FIG. 1 in which the relations of the parts when the ski boot is stepped in are shown; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are also schematic partly sectional ele' vations of the device as shown in FIG. 1 in which the relations of the parts when the ski boot is disengaged by a release lever are shown.

Now referring to FIG. 1, for the first place, the structure of the heel-holding device of the present invention will be explained.

The numeral 1 denotes a heel clamp for holding the heel A of a ski boot, and the clamp l is pivotally secured to a movable shaft 2 which :is slidably held in an elongated slot 4 of a swingable retaining member 3. The retaining member 3 is vertically movably supported about a stationary shaft or pin 5 which is tightly fixed to a casing (not shown) of this device. A pedal 6 is supported about a stationary shaft 7 at one end thereof and vertically movable thereabout. The pedal 6 consists of a forward heel-stepped portion 6a and a rearward portion 6b, the rearward portion 6b connecting the shafts 2 and 7, and the forward heelstepped portion 6a being pivotally connected to the shaft 2. The forward portion 6a is provided with a projection 8 engaging with the underside of the rearward portion 6b so that the downward movement of the forward portion 6a about the shaft 2 is restricted.

The forward portion 6a further has a notch 9 on the underside thereof which receives the shaft or pin 5. In the embodiment shown, the forward and rearward portions of the pedal 6 are formed from two separate members, but they may be constructed from one integral piece.

Thus the vertical movement of the pedal permits the vertical movement of the movable shaft 2 and accordingly permits the vertical movement of the heel clamp 1 connected to the shaft 2. The elongated slot 4 perforated in the retaining member 3 is so shaped that when the retaining member is in a downwardly pressed state, the movable shaft 2 is not permitted of its upward vertical movement, and that as the retaining member is rotated upwardly, the shaft 2 is permitted of its upward movement. The movable shaft 2 is always urged upwardly by a torsion spring 10 coiled around the shafts 2 and 9. i

The above-mentioned heel clamp 1 has a forward extension la hanging over the pedal 6 and clamping the heel of the ski boot and a rearward extension lb which has an inclined under surface 10. Between the'inclined surface 1c of the clamp l and the upper surface of the retaining member 3 is engaged a transversely extending locking member 11, which is biased by a coiled spring 12. The locking member 11 thus biased urges the heel clamp toward the heel of the ski boot and also holds the retaining member 3 not to be rotated. The locking member 11 is only permitted to move horizontally against the biasing force of the coiled spring 12 and the vertical movement thereof is restricted by some means not shown. A roller 13 is provided at the upper front (left side) end of the pedal 6 in order to facilitate the heel A of the boot to be stepped in. A release lever 14 is pivotally secured to the aforementioned stationary shaft 7, the forward extension of which holds down the rearward extension lb of the clamp 1, and further it receives the rear side of the spring 12. Still further, the release lever 14 is provided with an aperture 15, into which the tip of a ski stick is inserted when the clamping is released.

The function of the heel-holding device of the invention having the above-described structure will be explained in the following.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive, the function as a safety binding for the ski is shown. In skiing, when an accident such as a tumbling or a bumping of a skier is caused to happen, a severe and abnormal stress will be given to the heel A of the ski boot, thereby the heel clamp l is forced to rotate clockwise on the shaft 2, and the locking member 11 held under the inclined surface 1c is pushed back against the pressure or biasing force of the coiled spring 12, as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 2. When the holding of the retaining member 3 by the locking member 11 is released, the retaining member is permitted to rotate counterclockwise on the stationary shaft 5, and accordingly the heel clamp l is permitted to move upwardly with the locking member 11 as a fulcrum. At the same time, the movable shaft 2 is raised upwardly along the elongated slot 4 of the retaining member 3, also moving the pedal 6 upwardly. Thereby the locking of the heel A by the heel clamp 1 is released as shown in FIG. 3. The movable shaft 2 is held at that raised position by the torsion spring 10. The clamp 1 is further rotated clockwise on the shaft 2, and thereby the device is opened completely as shown in FIG. 4. The imaginary lines in the drawings will be helpful to the understanding of the movements of several parts of the device.

In FIGS. 5 and 6, the movement of each part of the device of this invention when the heel of the boot is engaged with this device, is illustrated. The forward portion 6a of the pedal 6 is pushed down by the heel A of the ski boot as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 5, the movable shaft 2 is accordingly pressed down through the slot 4 with the retaining member 3 rotated in the clockwise direction against the upwardly urging force of the torsion spring 10. At the moment when the pedal is depressed to the lowermost position as shown in FIG. 6, the locking member 11 is pushed into the space between the inclined surface lc of the clamp l and the upper side of the retaining member 3 by the pressure of the coiled spring 12, whereby the heel A of the ski boot can be bound between the heel clamp l and the pedal 6. In this case, the roller 13 facilitates the stepping in of the heel A.

In FIGS. 7 and 8, the releasing step of the device of this invention is shown. In the first place, the release lever 14 is turned clockwise as shown by an arrow in FIG. 7, by means of, for example, the tip of the ski stick by inserting it into the aperture 15 of said lever 14. Of course, the release lever 14 can be turned by hand instead of the stick by pushing down the tongue portion at the upper rear end of the release lever 14. When the release lever 14 is turned to the direction indicated by the arrow, the spring 12 and the locking member 11 are moved back, and the locking of the clamp 1 and the retaining member 3 is released, permitting the upward movement of the heel clamp 1, whereby the heel A of the ski boot can be disengaged from the clamping device of the invention, the state of which is shown in FIG. 8.

As is apparent from the above explanation, if the pedal 6 is provided with an integral upward extension engageable with and disengageable from the locking member 11, the retaining member 3 may be omitted from the above embodiment.

As being explained in the above, the safety mechanism of the heel-holding device of the present invention is such that the stress caused to the heel clamp 1 is exerted to the inclined surface 10 to push back the locking member 11 enabling the clamp to be swung upward. Accordingly, the extraordinary action of the heel of the ski boot can be caught infallibly, in an emergency, to release the boot itself, in addition to that, the opening angle of the clamp 1 is large because the axis of the movement (the shaft 2) can be raised. Therefore, when an accident such as a tumbling or a bumping is caused to happen, the safety device acts instantly and without fail, and the heel of the ski boot is easily released from the ski, therefore the risks such as the sprain and fracture of the ankle can be minimized. Further, when the boot is to be engaged with the device, only the stepping in motion of boot into the device is sufficient, and in the usual releasing of the boot, it is only necessary to push down the release lever with, for example, the tip of the ski stick, and therefore, the device of the present invention is very simple and easy to handle. Furthermore, the device of the present invention is very simple as explained in the above, and accordingly it can be easily manufactured and used for a long time with a good condition.

It should be emphasized, however, that the specific embodiment described and shown herein is intended as merely illustrative and in no way restrictive of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A heel-holding device for ski bindings clamping the heel of a ski boot comprising a pedal depressable by the heel of the ski boot and pivotally supported at one end thereof, said pedal being vertically movable and having a transversely extending movable shaft at an intermediate point thereof, a heel clamp pivotally supported about said shaft and hung over said pedal, vertical movement of said pedal permitting a vertical movement of said heel clamp; a retaining member vertically rotatably supported about an axis, said retaining member operatively engaging and defining the movement of said movable shaft, rotation of said retaining member allowing the movement of said movable shaft from one vertical position to another; a locking member subjected to a resilient biasing force, said locking member urging said clamp toward the heel of the ski boot, said locking member being removably interengagable between said retaining member and said clamp and restricting the rotation of said retaining member under the biasing force, and thereby holding said pedal against vertical movement, said locking member being movable against the urging force to which it is subjected, whereby the movement of said locking member against the urging force permits the vertical movement of said pedal, enabling the heel clamp to be vertically movable away from the heel of the boot.

having an inclined surface with which the locking membet is pressable against the biasing force.

5. A heel-holding device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a release lever pivotally mounted on said pedal at the rear thereof and rotatably movable toward and away from the heel clamp and provided with means for providing the biasing force for said locking member, the movement of the release leveraway from the clamp permitting the locking member to move away from the heel clamp.

6. A heel-holding device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said release lever has an aperture into which a ski stick is insertable to move the release lever away from the heel clamp; 

1. A heel-holding device for ski bindings clamping the heel of a ski boot comprising a pedal depressable by the heel of the ski boot and pivotally supported at one end thereof, said pedal being vertically movable and having a transversely extending movable shaft at an intermediate point thereof, a heel clamp pivotally supported about said shaft and hung over said pedal, vertical movement of said pedal permitting a vertical movement of said heel clamp; a retaining member vertically rotatably supported about an axis, said retaining member operatively engaging and defining the movement of said movable shaft, rotation of said retaining member allowing the movement of said movable shaft from one vertical position to another; a locking member subjected to a resilient biasing force, said locking member urging said clamp toward the heel of the ski boot, said locking member being removably interengagable between said retaining member and said clamp and restricting the rotation of said retaining member under the biasing force, and thereby holding said pedal against vertical movement, said locking member being movable against the urging force to which it is subjected, whereby the movement of said locking member against the urging force permits the vertical movement of said pedal, enabling the heel clamp to be vertically movable away from the heel of the boot.
 2. A heel-holding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retaining member has an elongated slot perforated therein, and the shaft is engageably inserted in said slot, said slot being so shaped that when the retaining member is rotated, the pedal is vertically movable along said slot.
 3. A heel-holding device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a torsion spring urging the movable shaft to move vertically.
 4. A heel-holding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heel clamp is provided with an extension having an inclined surface with which the locking member is pressable against the biasing force.
 5. A heel-holding device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a release lever pivotally mounted on said pedal at the rear thereof and rotatably movable toward and away frOm the heel clamp and provided with means for providing the biasing force for said locking member, the movement of the release lever away from the clamp permitting the locking member to move away from the heel clamp.
 6. A heel-holding device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said release lever has an aperture into which a ski stick is insertable to move the release lever away from the heel clamp. 